


Error

by Kurohebi



Series: Sheith month 2018 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: #day16, Angst, Kind of Keith centric, M/M, sheithmonth2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 13:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15316272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurohebi/pseuds/Kurohebi
Summary: So what happens when Keith gets the news of Shiro's death and the failure of the mission?or: I just really wanted to write how Iverson lost his eye.





	Error

**Author's Note:**

> It can be read alone or after the events of "Two weeks". It will make sense (i hope) either way.  
> Kudos and comments are always welcome :)

“…error. The Kerberos mission was a failure because of pilot error.”  
It rang in his ear, echoed every minute. He couldn’t believe it. Shiro would never make a pilot error, he knows it. It must be some bullshit that some kid made up. But he was painfully aware of the fact, that it couldn’t be made up, after all it was in the news. The whole Galaxy Garrison were on edge. There were the ones who didn’t believe it, the ones that thought there was more details than they told. Keith was somewhere in the middle. He could think of the possibility that the mission was a failure, and all men aboard were dead, but he didn’t want to think of it. That would mean his Shiro were gone.  
So he fought with teeth and nails against the idea. And even more against that it was somehow Shiro’s fault. It hurt to even think of the mission, every time he did the only thing what popped into his head is a dying Shiro.

Alone.

In the space.

Keith wanted to be selfish and think that he was in Shiro’s thoughts before he died. He didn’t know what caused his lover’s death, but it surely wasn’t pilot error. 

 

Eventually everybody believed that the pilot error was the truth. Everyone but Keith. He stuck with his belief and couldn’t stand if anyone tried to push the discussion of it. He already beat up 3 guys who taunted Shiro for the Kerberos mission. They didn’t say who beat them up, they couldn’t, Keith made sure of it. His life became a routine, wake up, attend to classes, do the simulators, beat up anybody who says anything bad at Shiro.

But of course it couldn’t stay like that forever. He accidently overheard two cadets talking about the Kerberos mission. “I really don’t see why did they send that pilot to an important mission. They should have known he was a failure. Sure he happened to be able to score the simulators, but he probably cheated or something to do it. What can we say life served him right in this case, or more likely death.” 

They laughed, like they haven’t just disgraced someone’s work and life. Keith started to feel the red fog descend on his brain. “Patients yield focus.” He whispered to himself, as an anchor, something that bonds him to Shiro. It hold him back for seconds but with another comment- “I just wish he would have died alone, we lost two geniuses with that shitty pilot.”- he lost it. His galra side (not that he knew what it was that time) took over, he wanted them to pay, he even wanted them to die. So he attacked them with his full power. They were beaten up when the teachers arrived in the company of Iverson, the head of Galaxy Garrison. 

He immediately stopped what he was doing, but the fog was still close, he couldn’t control himself for long. Keith was saved from that man countless times by Shiro, but he didn’t fear him, even if Shiro isn’t there to save his ass again, he won’t give up, just like his lover taught him. “What happened here cadets?” He asked in a voice what meant no hiding things, or they will find themselves out of the program really soon. The two didn’t need more motivation, they started telling their side of the story. “We harmlessly talked to each other, then this cadet just started hitting us. It came out of nowhere. We were so surprised, we couldn’t even protect ourselves.” They stated. He sent them a glare from the corner of his eyes. Then Iverson looked at him expectantly. He inhaled slowly before he started talking. 

“They badmouthed Shiro.” It was just nearly louder than a whisper, but the man still heard him. He didn’t say anything on his quiet comment, so Keith thought he need to speak more clearly, if he still want to be in the Garrison the next day. “They badmouthed Takashi Shirogane, the pilot of the Kerberos mission, sir.” He repeated himself in a more formal way. Iverson was a bit surprised (but hid it well) to find that even after weeks there were anyone who still talked about the failed mission. He had enough problem with it, as the Holt girl asked for details all the time. And then this.

He knew that the smaller boy probably said the truth, but it didn’t matter. He needed everybody to just stay quiet and forget about it. If they needed time to mourn the loss of their family or friends, they can get it. But they can’t beat up anybody just because they said the wrong thing and poured salt into their wound. This isn’t how it works. They should know it too. “What did you exactly say?” He asked the two boys. They looked absolutely terrified to answer, but one of them did. “We just said, that the mission was a pilot error, so it must have been the pilot’s fault. And that we should train more, to be even better pilots than he was, because even tough he must have been an excellent one, he made a mistake that cost not only his, but his crew members’ lives too.” He lied. 

Of course he did.

Iverson knew it too but didn’t call him out on it. He needed the youngest cadet to learn discipline, and if it means he has to be unfair and mean to him, then he will be. That’s the mistake he made. “That’s completely right. It was a pilot error. He made a mistake and didn’t live long enough to tell us.” He said, his voice completely emotionless. As if he stated that the sky is blue.

“It wasn’t. It couldn’t be a pilot error. Shiro wouldn’t make mistakes. He is the best.” Keith snarled.  
“It was. He made a mistake, that’s why we call it pilot error, and he can’t be the best, because he is dead.” That last word snapped a string in Keith. He saw nothing but red. While Iverson lost his sight in his left eye. Keith’s braincells didn’t know anything anymore, his rage shut them all down. When he was back in his right mind he was held down by three teachers, while the man’s hand was on his own eye. He didn’t need to guess twice to know what’s happened. 

 

It wasn’t a surprise that they kicked out his ass from the Garrison after that incident. What surprised him was that he could get his belongings before they said to him a never-ending goodbye. He made his way to his hover-bike to get away from that place the fastest. He didn’t know where he should go after that, so he just flew in the desert to kill the time. He had it after all, he had all the time in the world now. It was a saddening thought. After some time, he found himself in front of an old shack. It carried a nostalgic feeling in it, but it looked completely empty. It was perfect for him. Not just perfect, he realized as he stepped in, it was his. Something said it to him, something called him here. Something is calling out for him.

 

That night he lied down onto his hover-bike. It was like coming home, as if his father and Shiro were near him again. He just watched the stars as they glowed like nothing happened, while Keith’s world was in pieces. His whole universe was made of Shiro, who was nowhere on Earth anymore. He didn’t know he started crying until he couldn’t see the stars anymore. He sobbed as his thoughts went back to their weeks together, it wasn’t long, but they were together at that time. 

“You promised you will come back!” He shouted at the sky, what was dead silent. “You promised…you promised…you…” He choked on his own sobs. He was alone, again, but that didn’t matter to him, he knew how to be alone. He just didn’t know how to be without Shiro anymore, he was like water, air to him.

Irreplaceable. 

He got their only photo out of his Jacket’s pocket. Shiro smiled so happily on it. It was another thing he will never see anymore. Tears fell onto the photo. “You promised. You liar.” Were his last words for that day as he held onto the smiling photo of his lover and his memory of him. He was silent after that, he didn’t need words anymore. The only one to whom he liked to talk to was gone and will never come back to him.

He really was a liar. He made one promise, and then he left him all alone in this world. His light was gone. His chest felt like it was on fire, maybe it was, he couldn’t tell either way, he never felt like this until now. He felt like he was…like he was broken. His heart was at least. And he didn’t have Shiro anymore to help him up from the dust like he always did.

‘I will never give up on you. More importantly, you can’t give up on yourself.’ Shiro’s voice rang into his ear. He can’t give up on himself, Shiro is right, he always is. Even now when everything is dark, and he can’t see a silver of light, his advice guides him to the next day, to the dawn when everything will be filled with light. He just need to suffer through the never-ending night before he can see the light of the next day. 

Dawn means light, and light means Shiro for him, maybe he can hope his lover will keep his promise. It was a weak hope, but he needed it. If he ever believes that Shiro is gone for good he won’t survive it. It would destroy him from the inside. The absence of Shiro is his only error and he can’t seem to care about it, he doesn’t want to recover from it if that means he would find a new light. He is content to live his life in darkness.

For Shiro.

Because of Shiro.

It doesn’t matter anymore as he looks at the stars and the photo.


End file.
